I apologize for the delay in following up on my last post, but it took a little work to get the right price on our new toy:
This is the XB-508 electric scooter made (or at least marketed by) Xtreme Scooters, a plug-in "electric bicycle".
We got it for my wife to commute to & from her work (about 2 miles away). Although it only goes 20-25 mph (depending on wind and how many people are riding it), the highest speed limit on her way to work is only 30 mph.
We wanted something that could get her to & from work without her having to get all sweaty on a bicycle, and we figured with plug-in cars on the horizon, someone has to make an electric scooter.
Apparently, they do! Xtreme Scooters seemed to have the most economical choices for what we were looking for - light duty around town. Other scooters are more powerful (closer to motorcycles) and much more expensive.
The best price we found for the model we wanted (actually the XB-500) was at Earth Scooters, but I could not get a hold of anyone there by phone, so I wasn't comfortable paying them online. The best price we found was about $725 for a new one.
We ended up paying $600 for the next model up (barely used) on Craigslist. If you use the IRS mileage rates, this represents about a 30% annual return on investment with our limited usage, even with electricity cost (which should be less than $0.005 - half of a cent - per mile).
This thing is awesome for getting around town. You can put up to two people on it (though 300 pounds is the recommended weight limit), and it has several storage compartments. It is really quiet, and it is nice to have pedals "just in case" - the pedals are not ergonomically friendly, and I would not want to use them very much!
If you are looking for a way to save money on gas around town, consider an electric scooter. Prices have gone up significantly because of increased demand, so looking at places like Craigslist are good alternatives.
One important caveat:
Make sure you know the requirements of your city/county/state for such devices. In Kansas, this cannot be tagged because it doesn't have a license, so it is up to the municipality to determine if they allow it on their roads. I have heard of a nearby town that does not, and someone who had already bought one was out of luck.
